I came up with a simple way to make some money this holiday season. I wanted to share it for our Monday theme.
I invested in a costco bulk amount to make my homemade almond roca and sell it. It's easier to pick one thing, make it well because repitition helps fine tune the recipe, and sell it in enough time for people to give it as a gift for Christmas. Help them out by pre-packaging it cute but cheap.
Here is my plan:
1. Buy the ingredients.
2. Make a sample batch and put it in a bowl as samples.
3. Create one sample of the packaging. I will not have the product in this, just some filler like foam peanuts or something. It is just to demonstrate how it will look when they get it.
4. Create an order form on the computer and put it on a clipboard with a pen tied to it.
5. Place the product at my husbands work in the breakroom, my mom's workplace (if she let's me:)or anywhere else besides church that I can think of. Put a plastic container of samples with a lid for freshness and a sign that says "please just take one to sample". Have the clipboard left there so they can sighn up their name, phone number and how many bags they want. I'm not sure what poundage the bags will have yet because I have to figure out the cost too.
6. Create a display tray with packageing sample and product samples and go around to the neighbors, kids teachers or other places to see if anyone wants orders. If they are not sure, ask if I can get back to them later.
7. Have a date the product will be ready. Prepare ahead of time to deliver.
8. Make remaining orders. Package and deliver on the date. Collect payments.
(I may warn ahead of time that payment needs to be cash so their are no problems)
Harvest Blessings Bundles
The above is my plan for before Christmas. I have an even easier one for before that. I made a wonderful apple coffee cake this week. The dry ingredients I put in a bag ahead of time. All I had to do after that was chop one apple and add the oil and egg. What a great little Thanksgiving blessing to give someone I thought. Then I thought....what a great item to sell too!
So, the plan is to make batches of the dry mixes. Package them similarly only with harvest colored raffia and tag, along with instructions and ingredients and sell them for a great price if people want a easy "thank you" gift for someone at this time of year. I am not sure this one will sell as much but I thought I'd give it a try and it's something I don't have to cook! Have the kids help and go around with you too!
For packaging I'll be using brown sandwich bags. They are cheap and VERY cute when dressed up a bit. After all, the best present is "brown paper packages tied up with string"!. Here is an idea from what I did for friends and neighbors cookies last Christmas. This photo is from Angry Chicken where I got the idea last year. Mine were more full and I used rick-rack ribbon and cheap price tags w/ red writing and snowflakes drawn. I don't have that blog on here anymore to show you, but this gives you the idea.
Some ideas may be:
-You favorite bread
-Homemade candy
-Homemade cards (I saw a whole group of women at costo around the big pack of handmade cards. I think this could be a big hit)
-Jar Mixes for all kinds of baked goods or coffee mixes
-potholders or scarfs (if you crochet or knit fast, other wise, start now for next year!)
Here is another packaging idea: A coffee cake would be cute put in a coffee mug w/ ribbon.
If you want to take part in Mothers of Invention Monday just paste this sticker to your blog and tag back your blog entry. I'm just getting this going but, I think its a great one to share. Go here to see what it's about.
Here is the large one for the head of your post if you like:
5 comments:
Alicia! What a great idea! I love the dry coffee cake mix in a coffee cup...too fun! Sounds like you have a plan. I wish I had something link worthy for you...perhaps next Monday.
You are very creative. These sound like good Christmas gift ideas to me!
What a great idea!
I have nothing. THe only thing I could think of was how to re-invent leftovers. Not necessarily invention.:0)
Actally Christy, that is just the sort of thing I'm hoping people will share. What did for dinner when you only had this and that. Exactly the idea!
This one was a little fancy of a start. Trust me, I do not come up with tons of stuff myself. I am trying to stretch my thinking though.
i've been meaning to comment on this.......i think this is a great idea. i like to buy homemade things and i especially appreciate them as gifts! i think the trend is also going this way. (think etsy...man is that big now.)elizabeth was my entrepreneur...she once earned all the money for her and tommy to go to horse camp for a week by making "scrunchies" (for your hair) and selling them at tim's work. they were a huge hit. another time she made crocheted scarves/matching hats and took orders. she was booked solid for a month and a half. tommy and elizabeth also made countdown to christmas candy calendars one year and made a ton of money. are you doing the almond roca? how much do you charge per bag(or however it is packaged)? i just think this is a fabulous idea for you!!!!!
julie
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